


Look-Alikes

by vanillafluffy



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: 4th of July, Brooklyn, Bucky Barnes & Steve Rogers Friendship, Costumed superheroes in New York, Gen, Steve Rogers and the 21st Century, costume contest
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-15
Updated: 2016-08-15
Packaged: 2018-08-09 00:57:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 968
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7780666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vanillafluffy/pseuds/vanillafluffy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve is persuaded to enter a Captain America look-alike contest. The results are unexpected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Look-Alikes

It's Bucky who instigates it. He comes home one day with a handbill promoting a 4th of July street fair in Brooklyn, featuring Live Music! Food Trucks! And (oh joy) A Captain America Look-Alike Contest!

"You should definitely do it," Bucky says, his eyes sparkling at the prospect. 

"I'd feel like an idiot," Steve replies, wincing at the thought. 

"What, like that ever stopped you?" Bucky is grinning, and it's so great to see his friend getting back to normal that Steve shrugs and says 'Maybe'--he's forgotten how persistent Bucky can be when he gets an idea in his head. There's no 'maybe' about it. And what the heck, it's better than dwelling on the fact that that's his birthday, because he definitely doesn't want to dwell on how many of those he's racked up. 

Which is how Steve finds himself in full regalia on the subway with Bucky on the afternoon of the 4th. It feels so familiar, so comfortable, to be roaming New York with Bucky that Steve can almost forget what's going to happen when they get to the end of the line. 

The street fair is lively. The music isn't Steve's kind of thing, but Bucky is moving to the rhythm like he's going to--what's that odd expression Tony uses?--bust a move. The air is perfumed with good smells from the vendors. They see quite a few Cap wannabes in the crowd, from children to adults, male and female, even a couple star-spangled pups on leashes. 

When the call goes out for the contestants for the Captain America Look-Alike Contest to take their places on stage, Bucky herds him through the throng, all smiles and encouragement. 

There are two categories, Children and Adults. The youngest entrant is probably about three, and she's wearing a blue Captain America tee over red and white striped tights and she has a rhinestone tiara in lieu of a helmet. The kids all get red, white and blue ribbons for participating, and the winner, who's about ten, receives a gift card to some store Steve's never heard of. 

Some of the participants have put real work into their costumes, although Steve wouldn't exactly credit them with being look-alikes. There's a young woman in a red, white and blue corset with a long patchwork skirt. A guy is wearing some kind of painted foam armor. Someone else has an outfit embellished with gauges and rivets--what the heck is "steampunk", anyway?

Everyone parades across the stage--It's strange without a Hitler to punch--and then the judges make their first selection. 

To his absolute astonishment, Steve is cut. "But why?" he asks, too surprised to fade away quietly. 

"It's the costume," one of the guys on the panel tells him. 

"What's wrong with it? It's perfectly accurate--" Perfect by virtue of being the real thing. 

"Yeah, it probably cost a nice chunk of change," another panelist says, curling his lip. 

The lone woman on the board leans forward. "You can't buy your way into first place," she says firmly. "Captain America is not for sale."

That feels better than winning the silly contest ever could. "Yes, ma'am," Steve agrees, and retreats. 

"You got cut?" Bucky is incredulous. "What the hell?!"

"Disqualified. They though I bought the costume, said I was trying too hard."

They watch the rest of the contest from the crowd. When they're down to the last few finalists, the contenders are asked to say a few words about what Captain America means to them. Steve gets choked up listening to their stories: the hearing-impaired man with a muscular physique who explains through a sign-language interpreter that he identifies with the handicapped youth who became a strong man. A teenager with a lingering accent talks about how Captain America is a symbol of freedom, and he loves this country! The oldest participant hobbles to the microphone. Her costume is a trainwreck of red, white and blue--it's a cross between Captain America and the Status of Liberty--but she has a beautiful smile. 

"Many years ago, when I was a girl, I met Captain America during a rally for war bonds. He was very nice, very polite and dignified, and if you had asked me a few years ago what Captain America meant to me, I would have said he was the kind of person with manners we hardly ever see any more. And then we found out he was still alive against all the odds, still here for us, fighting against creatures from outer space, like something out of Orson Welles...now I would have to say he stands for hope. We all need hope."

Out of the corner of his mouth, Bucky mutters, "Yeah, except Welles had his stupid aliens invade New Jersey. Aw, you're not bawling, are you, Steve?"

"Shut up. You wanted to go to Jersey and fight them."

"Punk. Come on, I'll buy you an egg cream, that'll cheer you up."

"You know if you can even find an egg cream these days it's probably gonna set you back $12, right?" He doesn't need to know who the judges pick is; they're all winners in his book. 

"Couldn't win a Captain America look-alike contest," Bucky is saying as he leads the way toward the food trucks. "Wait til I tell Tony!"

Steve just smiles as he follows his friend. For a guy who just lost, he feels like he's been given a really wonderful gift. 

"Not to mention some terrific ideas," Bucky smirks. 

"Huh? Ideas about what?"

The grin on Bucky's face makes him uneasy. He hasn't seen that expression of fiendish glee in seventy-plus years, but he remembers it well. "For the next version of your uniform, sport. I think you'd look absolutely precious with a sparkly little tiara."

.


End file.
